Department for International Development

Rwanda: Older People

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of thereport by Tearfund Ageing in Rwanda, published on 25 January.

baroness sugg: Tearfund’s research report on ageing in Rwanda is an important contribution to a growing evidence base on changing demographics in Rwanda. It complements UK Aid funded research looking at the implications of ageing and demographic change in Rwanda. Tearfund’s report highlights the unique nature and speed of the demographic transition in Rwanda, a result of rapid improvements in life expectancy and a reduction in the fertility rate. While this is likely to provide opportunities in the future, the large growth in the number of older people will also create challenges; many of which, as the report clearly outlines, are being experienced by older people in Rwanda today. These include unmet mental health needs arising from loss, trauma and bereavement as well as vulnerability exacerbated by gaps in social protection, health and care services. DFID engaged in the dissemination event for this report in Kigali and will draw on findings from the research to further strengthen its work on social protection, agriculture and livelihoods to respond to the needs of older people in Rwanda.

Rwanda: Older People

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to thereport by Tearfund Ageing in Rwanda, published on 25 January,what plans they have, if any, to ‘age-proof’ UK international development policies.

baroness sugg: As the Tearfund report recognises, there is more work to do to ensure older people are actively included in international development policies and resources. DFID’s vision is a world where all people, in all stages of their lives, are engaged, empowered and able to exercise their rights. Age is an important factor in our efforts to tackle extreme poverty, ensure inclusion and in our approach to ‘leave no-one behind’. DFID ensures that issues of age, gender and disability are included in all UK international development policies. For example, DFID’s Disability Inclusion Strategy and Strategic Vision for Gender Equality take a life-course approach, ensuring the delivery of transformative change for people all ages.

Rwanda: Older People

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by Tearfund Ageing in Rwanda, published on 25 January,what plans they have, if any, to distribute foreign aid cross-generationally in Rwanda.

baroness sugg: UK Aid in Rwanda responds directly to the Global Goals for Sustainable Development, which aim to eradicate extreme poverty and ensure that no one is left behind. In Rwanda, DFID is tackling vulnerabilities and exclusion at all stages of life; from early childhood, through school and adolescence into adulthood and older age. DFID Rwanda’s new £64.5 million programme to support the social protection sector includes explicit objectives to address old-age vulnerabilities, as highlighted in the Tearfund ‘Ageing in Rwanda’ report. Furthermore, given that many older people continue working past the official retirement age of 65, our support to older people is also integrated into broader interventions such as improving agricultural productivity and livelihoods in Rwanda.

Rwanda: Older People

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they assess the effectiveness of UK aid in Rwanda for Rwandans over the age of 60.

baroness sugg: Assessing the effectiveness of our work is a key priority for DFID, in order to ensure that our programmes achieve their intended results and that they contribute to the Global Sustainable Development Goals across our programming. One of the key means of supporting older Rwandans is through the social protection sector which DFID Rwanda has supported for over a decade. We have made strides in addressing the vulnerabilities of older people. As part of our most recent social protection programme in Rwanda (2013 - 2018), DFID’s support enabled the expansion of support to households living in poverty with no capacity to work – the vast majority of which are older people - to cover all 416 sectors in Rwanda and more than tripling the number of beneficiary households reached. DFID Rwanda’s new £64.5 million programme to support social protection provision in Rwanda also aims to better address specific vulnerabilities and support Rwanda’s longer-term policy objectives to implement an old-age pension.

Refugees: Religious Freedom

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) attacks on Christian Rohingya refugee families by other refugees in Bangladesh, in particular reports of such attacks in the Kutupalong Refugee Camp on 27 January; and (2) what steps they are taking to ensure the safety of refugees around the world who are from religious minority groups.

baroness sugg: We are aware of reports of attacks on Christian Rohingya refugee families in Kutupalong, Bangladesh, and are monitoring the situation closely. The UK government, working through the main agencies responsible for protection and safety, is committed to improving the safety of all the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. DFID is a major supporter of the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR). UNHCR works to provide international protection and humanitarian assistance; and to seek permanent solutions for all refugees, returnees, stateless people and, in some instances, internally displaced people. This includes refugees from religious minority groups. UNHCR plays a critical role in ensuring that those persecuted because of their religion have protection in the country they have fled to. DFID works with UNHCR and all its humanitarian partners, including faith-based humanitarian organisations to ensure aid is given to those most vulnerable and most in need of assistance, in line with the humanitarian principles. This includes members of religious minority groups, who are often among those most in need of protection and assistance when assessed by our humanitarian partners.

European Development Fund

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much UK aid has been spent via the European Development Fund (EDF) in Africa in each of the past ten years; how much will be spent via the EDF in the next financial year; whether the spending priorities for the EDF will be reassessed; who will determine any such future priorities; and on what basis.

baroness sugg: The European Development Fund’s (EDF) bilateral country allocations to Sub-Saharan Africa have varied over time, but historically have been at least 80% per year, with additional EDF funding to Africa going through regional components, trust funds and multilateral partners. There are no plans to reassess the EDF spending for 2020 as the instrument comes to an end in December 2020. Further information on the EDF and allocations of funding can be found at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/EPRS/EPRS-IDA-542140-European-Development-Fund-FINAL.pdfBetween the financial years 2009/10 and 2019/20 the UK contributed £4.1bn to the EDF. We estimate that at least £3.3bn has been used for allocations to Sub-Saharan Africa at country and regional levels. Full details of our annual contributions to the EDF can be found at: https://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/projects/GB-1-200236The Withdrawal Agreement sets out that the UK will honour commitments made to the EU budget during the period of our membership up to December 2020. The UK will fund all programmes approved during the current EU Multiannual Financial Framework (2014-2020), which includes obligations to the current, and previous, European Development Funds. For financial year 2020/21, we estimate that at least £516m of DFID’s EDF payments will be spent in Sub-Saharan Africa, though fluctuations may result from the rate of EDF programme delivery and exchange rate fluctuations over the coming year.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Overseas Aid

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much UK aid has been provided to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in each of the past 10 years; how many Department for International Development employees work exclusively on the Democratic Republic of the Congo; what that aid has been used for; and what assessment they have made of the effect such aid has had on preventing corruption and building a rules-based society.

baroness sugg: The UK is a longstanding development partner of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Over the last 10 years (2009-2018) the DRC has received approximately £1.65 billion in UK bilateral Overseas Development Assistance. 56 people are currently employed by the Department for International Development to work exclusively on the DRC. UK Aid supports millions of Congolese in need through improved access to clean water, health care and education- providing lifesaving humanitarian assistance, by tackling outbreaks and global health emergencies such as Ebola, Measles and Cholera. We also contribute to creating peace and stability by tackling the underlying drivers of conflict, creating access to sustainable jobs and improved incomes. UK Aid is tackling corruption, strengthening accountability and contributing to rules-based society, including through both our public financial management and elections programme. The effectiveness of DFID programmes is measured against expected results, and the value for money provided. Individual programme performance is assessed annually and can be viewed on DFID’s development tracker.

Syria: Armed Conflict

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they have on the current humanitarian situation in Idlib province.

baroness sugg: We are gravely concerned about escalating Syrian Regime and Russian military action and its humanitarian impact in Idlib. As of 6 February, the UN reports that 586,000 people have been displaced since 1 December 2019, and many more are at risk of imminent further displacement. This financial year DFID has already allocated £103 million to organisations delivering aid cross border from Turkey primarily into North West Syria, including Idlib. This has helped to provide hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people with food, clean water, shelter, and healthcare including psychosocial support.Given the rapidly deteriorating conditions in North West Syria, we have put options in place to increase our funding further to address the pressing needs of those displaced by the conflict. We have provided funding to response partners including the UN to preposition essential supplies to support innocent families and civilians displaced by conflict and we are supporting all our partners to respond to this humanitarian crisis. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa visited Turkey on 5-6 February and discussed the crisis in North West Syria with UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs, as well as with Turkish authorities. DFID partners on the ground are working tirelessly to provide aid to those affected by the military offensive.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Natural Gas: Hydrogen

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to develop the UK gas network and appliances connected to it so thatthey are able to receive a supplyof 100 per centhydrogen.

lord duncan of springbank: Replacing natural gas in the gas grid with hydrogen may be an option which could contribute to decarbonising heat, along with other options including heat networks, electric heat pumps and biogas. The Government’s December 2018 report on Clean Growth: Transforming Heating concluded that there is currently no clear consensus on the best approach to decarbonising heat at scale and that further work is required on the 100 per cent hydrogen option to prove the safety and feasibility case and to better understand the costs and benefits.BEIS is currently working with industry organisations and other stakeholders to ensure that all the R&D, testing and trialling work required to achieve this has been identified. The Government is also currently investing in a range of innovation programmes to explore and develop the potential of low carbon hydrogen for end use sectors. This includes:o Up to £20m to test the potential for switching to hydrogen (and other low carbon fuels) across a range of industrial sectors,o Hy4Heat – a £25m hydrogen for heat innovation programme with the aim of establishing if it is technically possible and safe to replace methane with hydrogen in residential and commercial buildings and gas appliances,o £23m to support deployment of hydrogen vehicles and growth of refuelling infrastructure.

Electric Vehicles

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what strategies are in place to increase capacity in the energy grid network across the UK to meet increased demand from electric vehicles.

lord duncan of springbank: Ofgem, the independent energy regulator, ensures – through the RIIO regulatory framework – that there is sufficient investment in electricity networks to deliver our net zero target and enable the transition to electric vehicles, whilst ensuring costs are kept down for consumers. This is alongside numerous measures to prepare the electricity system for new sources of demand, including electric vehicles. ‘Smart’ charging of electric vehicles can reduce demands from EV charging at peak times to help manage grid capacity. The Government recently consulted on secondary legislation to mandate that all charge points sold or installed in the UK must be smart enabled. In 2018, the Government established an Electric Vehicle Energy Taskforce. The Taskforce has now reported and published 21 proposals for Government, industry and Ofgem on how we can ensure the energy system is ready for the mass uptake of electric vehicles. Government is actively considering these proposals.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) adequacy of the security arrangements required for the planned National Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens, and (2) arrangements to keep access to the Gardens open to children using the playground there.

viscount younger of leckie: The Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre will have security arrangements similar to the many other public buildings in Westminster. We are working with security experts, government agencies and the Metropolitan Police to ensure the necessary security measures are put in place and the gardens remain accessible for all users. Horseferry playground will also be enhanced and updated.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what environmental impact assessment has been made relating to the planned National Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens and, in particular, any consideration given to possible damage to trees in the Gardens and the drainage system.

viscount younger of leckie: Detailed assessment has been made of the environmental impact. The full reports are publicly available as part of the planning application (the attachment is too big to attach) at:  https://idoxpa.westminster.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=PL0CVYRP27O00

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likely contribution of the planned National Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens to (1) understanding the causes of antisemitism, and (2) reducing antisemitic attitudes

viscount younger of leckie: The Holocaust Memorial will serve as a permanent reminder that political decisions have far-reaching consequences. In light of Holocaust denial, revisionism, the rise of antisemitism and indifference, it is more important than ever to ensure that the story of what happened during the Holocaust resonates with ordinary people and raises questions about Britain’s role at the time. The Learning Centre will explore the role of our Parliament and democratic institutions in the Holocaust, what we did and what more we could have done both at the time and subsequently to tackle the persecution of the Jewish people and other groups.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likely effect of the planned National Holocaust Museum and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens on traffic along (1) Millbank, and (2) Abingdon Street

viscount younger of leckie: Detailed assessments have been made of the impact on traffic of both the construction and operation phases. The full reports are publicly available as part of the planning application (the attachment is too big to attach) at: https://idoxpa.westminster.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=PL0CVYRP27O00 .

World War II: Genocide

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in assisting Holocaust survivors and their descendants to secure the restitution of their property in Poland; and what discussions they have had with the government of Poland about such restitution.

viscount younger of leckie: The UK government’s Post Holocaust Issues Envoy takes the lead in discussions regarding restitution of property of Holocaust survivors. The Envoy is involved in ongoing conversation on the issue with the Polish government, national and international community organisations, and international intergovernmental representatives.

Hate Crime

lord vinson: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byViscount Younger of Leckie on 3 February (HL187), whether it is possible that a hearsay remark, if construed by a bystander as offensive, could be reported as a hate crime and the perpetrator interviewed by the police as a result; and if so, what steps they intend to take to protect freedom of speech.

viscount younger of leckie: It is an operational matter for the police to determine whether to investigate all incidents reported to them. When investigating allegations of hate crime it is for the police to apply the relevant legislation, including the freedom of expression defence contained in section 29J of the Public Order Act 1986.